


mondays, thursdays, art history & you

by somnia_tuan



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, M/M, asking the other out on a date, future skuld and kairi best friend agenda, nerds like each other but aren't doing anything, please ship this it's so cute, skuld in a leather jacket
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:02:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somnia_tuan/pseuds/somnia_tuan
Summary: ventus has a problem and it started when ephemer sat next to him in his intro to art history class.
Relationships: Ephemer & Skuld (Kingdom Hearts), Ephemer/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), Skuld & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	mondays, thursdays, art history & you

Ventus has a problem. It’s not really a problem, explains Kairi as she answers the long string of text messages he panic sends after class. She thinks he’s being ridiculous and panicking over something he shouldn’t be - “This is a new experience, enjoy it and relax!” she signs off with a smiley face blowing a kiss - but he thinks overwise. See the thing is, Ventus is more than comfortable making friends, he strives for it, he doesn’t think he had a good day unless he made a new one but  _ this  _ he doesn’t understand or do. Or has done. He unlocks his phone to send a small “I'm not you Kairi” before locking it and heading off to his next class. 

The problem started when he signed up for the intro to art history class for an elective, something to see if he’s interested in it and might choose it as a major - he’s undecided but he’s a freshman he’s got time. He got there early, finding a spot near the front so he can see but also far enough away from the door so he doesn’t look like he doesn’t want to be there. Terra, his brother, explained the science to him about choosing seats before their adoptive father stopped him because Ventus was getting more and more anxious about things that didn’t matter - it does but he won’t tell Aqua or their dad that. So he chose his seat, took out the notebook, syllabus and textbook to wait for class to begin. 

It’s a small class, which he’s thankful for, and he thinks everyone’s arrived to class as it hits the last few seconds before the trouble - the issue - the problem walks in. The boy pushes open the door, a loud apology for being almost late echoes in the room and he slides into the empty chair next to Ventus. He’s taller than Ventus by a few inches, finds out a few more than he originally thought as they exit class together that day, but what keeps drawing his eye is the white greyish hair that lays in curls on his head. It falls slightly into his eyes, causing him to either shake his hair out of his face or push it back. He’s wearing mostly black, with a red scarf and a matching red backpack. 

He turns to Ventus as he lays his supplies on his desk, smiles and introduces himself. “Hi, I’m Ephemer.” 

“Ventus but you can call me Ven.” 

The professor calls for a break, allowing them to stretch and relax. Ventus checks his phone before pocketing it looking up to see that Ephemer has faced him, smiling again. 

“Are you a history major or going for an archaeology degree?” He asks.

“Oh, actually I’m undecided.” Ventus is ready for the disinterest in him to disappear but instead Ephemer perks up more.

“Oo! So you’re trying out art history?! How are you doing so far?” 

Ventus smiles shyly. “There’s a lot of dates.” His face burns at the bright giggle Ephemer lets out. 

“You aren’t wrong but if you ever need help me know.” 

They find out after class that they have the same break on some days, meaning that every Monday and Thursday they can meet up for lunch. It becomes a norm that on Mondays, Ventus grabs the table - the one in the back, right in the shadow of the wall break between the large windows. It gives them a view of the campus without being in the sun. Ephemer grabs it on Thursdays when Ventus has to run from another building to meet up - but they’ve never missed a lunch meet up. 

Somewhere, half way through the semester, he realizes that he likes Ephemer. Like  _ likes  _ him, that even when he’s struggling to remember dates, names and places for a variety of pieces of art, he’s reminded that he’ll get to see him that day for class and pushes through. He realizes his feelings at three in the morning when he’s bingeing Disney movies to comfort that odd feeling in his chest, which is how he started this chain panic texting to his best friend and how she thinks he’s overreacting. He tries to explain that he doesn’t even know if Ephemer likes him like that, let alone if he’s gay, when Kairi stops in his tracks and points out the obvious. 

“Ven, he waits for you on Thursdays, he smiles around you and he rushes from one side of the campus on weekends to see you from his day job. Please he likes you.” 

Which would be fine and put it to rest but he’s Ventus - he’s nervous. 

Doesn’t help that on Wednesday, when he’s even more stressed about it, he’s in the middle of lunch when someone he’s seen before but has never met slides into the seat across from him. He still sits at their table - the one they share, not like it’s  _ theirs  _ \- so he expects it’s easy to find him. He looks up and he thinks a goddess is across from him. 

Her long black hair hangs down her back, warm brown eyes and a bright smile. She’s dressed in a leather jacket and Ventus can just make out earrings hanging down from her ears, he thinks they’re silver stars. He smiles back, nervous all of a sudden. 

“You’re Ventus right?” She asks, beginning to unpack the tray of food in front of her. He didn’t even notice that she sat down to eat with him. “I’m Skuld, Ephemer’s childhood best friend.”

“That’s me, but you can call me Ven.” 

“Hi Ven,” She places a plate of french fries in front of them, moving the tray over to the empty seat .”Have some, Ephemer tells me you really like them.” 

“He told you that?” He takes a few, munching on them silently.

“Yeah, that’s actually why I’m here.” She shrugs off her jacket. “Ephemer really likes you but he’s too stupid to do anything about it. He’s all dates, ancient civilizations and long forgotten tombs but when it comes to telling people how he feels he kinda draws a blank. But I know my best friend and when he can’t shut up about something or someone, they’re important. It’s actually how I found out we were best friends but not the point.” 

“He likes me?” Ventus leans back, he fights off the small smile but fails. 

Skuld smiles. “He does and by your reaction, I think you like him back.” 

“Um.” Ventus goes to grab another handful of fries but Skuld picks it up before he can reach it. He looks up at her, at her smirk and the softness in her eyes and realizes he’s not getting out of this conversation without telling her. 

“Listen, I know we just met and this is probably not how you want to admit to your feelings for someone to someone that you’ve known for,” She looks down at her watch. “About five minutes but trust me, he likes you. And this isn’t me being that overprotective friend, warning you not to break his heart or I’ll come kill you in the middle of the night. This is a friend wanting the best for her best friend and knows that you could be the best. Outside of books and dusty artifacts, he struggles to remember how to keep connections so if he’s this hung up on you, it’s something important.” 

She places the fries back down. 

“I do like him but I wasn’t even sure if he felt the same way about me.” Ventus looks down at the table. “This is new to me, the crush I had on my friend in high school didn’t go anywhere because I didn’t want to lose them. But if you’re telling me the truth, he really does like me?” 

“He does,” Skuld bites her lip. “I get it, it’s scary finding someone and connecting just for them to get up and go. But this is a chance you should take.”

“Now you sound like my best friend,” Ventus laughs. “Kairi and you would get along.”

“Well, if you two get together, we could meet.” She smiles, picking up a half of her sandwich and taking a bite. Ventus looks outside, studying the campus before she speaks again. “Talk to him tomorrow at lunch - since I know you two have your Thursday lunch dates.”

“They aren’t dates!” 

“Oh trust me, they’re dates.” 

-

Ventus pushes open the caferita door, scanning the room to find the familiar head of white hair in the corner. He walks over, waving once Ephemer spots him and feels himself blush. He had called Kairi the night before, explaining the meeting with Skuld and he ended up placing his phone down on his desk as she laughed for a full ten minutes. Kairi explained that he had to talk to him the next day, agreed that they’ve been going on dates since the first day they met, and told him to hurry up with it because she wanted to meet Skuld. He gave himself six different pep talks on the way over and now that he’s ten steps away he’s forgotten all of them, nerves bubbling up again.

“Hey Ven!” Ephemer pulls something out of his backpack, a magazine that he’s subscribed too about history. “Look at this article, it’s all about finding the ancient tomb of this group of people that they think,” He turns to the page, scanning the article before showing it to Ventus again. “Were a cult!”

Ventus takes the magazine, scanning the pages and studying the pictures. He smiles, because while this is cool, he doesn’t see it the same way Ephemer does. He looks up, feeling a lightness in his chest as the way Ephemer watches him and waits for his reaction and comments. 

“What makes them think that it’s a cult?” He passes the magazine back. 

“They found some artifacts that they really can’t explain, stuff usually used in sacrifices but there are cravings in the tomb related to the moon. They aren’t sure but it points to that.” He slips the magazine back into his bag. “I’ll let you know, I’m going to read it before my next class. How was yours?”

“It was good.” Ventus unfolds the wrapped sandwich that was waiting for him, Ephemer buys it for him every Thursday so they can save time and talk. It hits him that these really are dates without them knowing. “So I met Skuld yesterday.”

Ephemer chokes on his water, coughing a bit as he looks at him. “How? She didn’t- Oh Skuld.” Ventus laughs, sitting up and places his head into his hand. Ephemer freezes before slumping back. “Listen -”

“I like you too.” 

“What?!” Ephemer yells a bit, having a few people turn to look at them. He smiles and waves before turning back to Ventus. “When?!”

“I don’t know when I started liking you but I figured it out at like two in the morning in the middle of watching Cinderella.” Ventus goes back to his lunch. “I’ve been nervous about telling you, you finding out and ruining this for weeks.” 

“Ruining this?” 

“I wanted to tell you but didn’t know if you liked me that way. I didn’t know if telling you that, and you didn’t, you wouldn’t want to be friends with me.” Ventus gets quiet, he looks up finding Ephemer watching him. “Because you’re an important friend to me.”

“Same, you mean a lot. I have connections issues...Skuld probably already explained this. But this,” He points down to his backpack before pointing to the pile of books on the extra chair. “Comes easier than me knowing how to keep a connection going. Skuld and I have gotten into fights about this but I’m better now. So finding someone that I liked, I didn’t get it. But you like me…” 

“I do…”

“Cool!” They share a laugh. “She’s been teasing me for weeks about how these are dates.”

“She said the same thing to me,” Ventus reaches for his sandwich. “But I think we should go on an actual one.”

“Me too.” Ephemer sits back, drumming his fingers on the table. “Hey, there’s that small movie theater in town, I think they’re having a Disney movie marathon this weekend. Let’s go, it’s not that far of a walk and it will be nice and comfortable. I was going to ask you if you wanted to make a day out of it but I think making it a date is better.” 

“Me too.” Ventus smiles. “What time does it start?”

“Noon and it goes to around eight I think,” Ephemer pulls out a notebook and writes it down. “I can get the actual times later today when I’m done with classes and then I’ll text you?” 

“That’s perfect.” Ventus lets out a small laugh. “Just don’t fall asleep this time!”

“That was one time and it was after a long day.” They laugh. They continue their lunch, catching up about classes and talks about the weekend. 

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first fic for them but they're such a pure ship so I hope everyone enjoys! I haven't written anything for KH since 2018 so it's nice to get back into it. Kudos and comments are more than welcome!


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